36654 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 129 /Tuesday, July 7, 1998 / Notices

listed as benefits not subject to

reimbursement.

Section 435—This section contains a

description of qualifying quarters of

work and disallows any quarter worked

by a spouse or parent in which the

spouse or parent received a Federal

means-tested public benefit.

The law, however, does not include a

definition of ‘‘Federal means-tested

public benefit.’’ Therefore, each

Executive Branch agency whose

programs may be subject to the

PRWORA provisions is responsible for

identifying the benefits to which the

term applies.

Definition of Federal Means-Tested

Public Benefit

The Department has determined that

the Food Stamp Program and the block

grant food assistance programs in Puerto

Rico, American Samoa, and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands are ‘‘Federal means-tested

public benefit(s)’’ for purposes of Title

IV of PRWORA. Based on the legislative

history of PRWORA, the Department

interprets the term to refer only to

mandatory spending programs. The

Department of Health and Human

Services (62 FR 45256, August 26, 1997)

and the Social Security Administration

(62 FR 45284, August 26, 1997) have

interpreted the term in a similar fashion.

The food assistance programs listed

above are mandatory spending

programs.

The Department has determined that

the following Special Nutrition

Programs are either not a Federal

means-tested public benefit, or are

exempted from the application of the

term, for purposes of Title IV of

PRWORA.

The Nutrition Program for the Elderly

Food services provided through Summer

Camps pursuant to § 4(c) of the

Agricultural and Nutrition Protection Act

of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note)

Disaster Commodity Distribution

The National School Lunch Program

The School Breakfast Program

The Special Milk Program

The Child and Adult Care Food Program

The Homeless Children Nutrition Program

The Summer Food Service Program for

Children

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program

for Women, Infants, and Children

The WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program

The Emergency Food Assistance Program

The Food Distribution Program on Indian

Reservations

Regulatory Impact Analysis

Designation: This action has been

designated as significant.

Decrease in Number of Eligible Aliens:

Effective August 22, 1996 for applicants

and no later than August 22, 1997 for

participating households, PROWRA

made most aliens ineligible for food

stamps. Exceptions were made for

certain asylees, refugees, Cubans,

Haitian, Amerasians, deportees, and

persons with a military connection. An

exception was also made to allow aliens

admitted as lawful permanent residents

to be eligible if they have earned or can

be credited with at least 40 quarters

(about 10 years) of qualified work. This

notice only affects the eligibility of

lawful permanent residents who can be

credited with at least 40 quarters of

work. After 12/31/96, a quarter cannot

count if the person was receiving a

Federal means-tested public benefit

during that quarter.

Savings: By counting food stamp

benefits as a Federal means-tested

public benefit, the Federal government

may realize an estimated savings of as

much as $10 million a year for 10 years.

This occurs because most aliens

admitted as a lawful permanent resident

became ineligible 8/22/97, thus any

period of food stamp participation

between 1/1/97 and 8/22/97 would

delay their fulfillment of the 40 quarter

work requirement; which, in turn,

delays their eligibility. This reduces

program costs over the 10-year time

period. The maximum length of time

when participating permanent resident

aliens could have been working and

their work would not be counted toward

the quarters of coverage is 8 months, the

time between January 1, 1997, and

August 22, 1997. In any one year, the

estimated savings come from only those

participants who would have achieved

their 40 quarters in that year and do not

when they are not allowed to include

the quarters earned between January

1997 and August 1997 when they also

received food stamps. Assuming that

among those working, 1/40th are in

their 39th quarter, 1/40th are in their

38th quarter, etc., then no more than 4/

40th or 10 percent can have their

benefits delayed in any year.

Consistency: A Department of Health

and Human Service (HHS) notice

published on 8/26/97 (62 FR 45256) and

a Social Security Administration notice

published on 8/26/97 (62 FR 45284)

have determined that Federal meanstested public assistance benefits applies

to means-tested mandatory spending

programs. Therefore, this interpretation

is consistent with that of other agencies.

The DHHS determined that its notice

was economically significant based on

$5.1 billion in savings from all of the

alien restrictions contained in PRWORA

for purposes of the Medicaid Program

rather than just the definition of a

Federal means-tested public benefit.

The Social Security Administration did

not designate its notice. USDA is

designating this notice as significant

because it affects the eligibility of aliens,

but it is limiting the cost estimate to the

costs associated with the provisions

concerning the definition of a Federal

means-tested public benefit.

Effect on small entities: State and

local welfare agencies are affected to the

extent that they administer the Program.

The notice will affect a number of aliens

who could otherwise qualify for food

stamp participation. The changes and

the resulting decrease in benefits will

have a negative secondary effect on

revenues of the approximately 190,000

food stamp retailers nationwide.

Dated: June 25, 1998.

Shirley R. Watkins,

Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition, and

Consumer Services.

[FR Doc. 98–17932 Filed 7–6–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 98–031N]

Technologies for the Detection and

Reduction of Pathogens To Improve

Food Safety

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; Request for Technical

Papers and Presenters

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and

Inspection Service will hold a

conference on ‘‘Technology to Improve

Food Safety’’ on July 28, 1998, in

Washington, DC. The purpose of the

conference is to focus on emerging

technologies that aid in the detection of

pathogens and on pathogen

interventions that help to ensure food

safety within the farm-to-table

continuum. The emphasis will be on

both existing and emerging technologies

to detect pathogens, including those

which are close to practical application

within the farm-to-table continuum.

DATES: The conference will be held from

8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on July 28, 1998.

Abstracts of scientific papers must be

received no later than COB July 8, 1998;

the final papers no later than COB July

20, 1998. The Conference will be held

in two sessions: Technologies for

Reducing Pathogens and Technologies

for Detecting Pathogens. Please specify

for which session the paper is intended.

Two copies of the abstracts and final

papers should be sent to Ms. Mary

Harris at the address below.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 129 /Tuesday, July 7, 1998 / Notices 36655

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in

the Federal Hall Ballroom of the

Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas

Circle, NW, Washington, DC 20005. To

register for the meeting, contact Ms.

Harris at (202) 501–7315, FAX to (202)

501–7615, or E-mail to

mary.harris@usda.gov. If a sign language

interpreter or other special

accommodation is necessary, please

contact Ms. Harris by July 14, 1998. Ms.

Harris’ address is FSIS, Franklin Court

Building, Room 6904, 1099 14th Street,

NW, Washington, DC 20250–3700. All

technical papers, comments, and data

about the meeting will be available for

public viewing after August 15, 1998, in

the FSIS Docket Room, Room 102,

Cotton Annex Building, 300 12th Street,

SW, Washington, DC 20250–3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

William J. Hudnall, Assistant Deputy

Administrator, Office of Policy, Program

Development, and Evaluation at (202)

205–0495 or FAX to (202) 401–1760.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On April 12 and 13, 1995, FSIS

convened a scientific and technical

conference in Chicago as part of a series

of outreach activities associated with

the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard

Analysis and Critical Control Point

(HACCP) proposed rule. The purpose of

the conference was to solicit public

comment about what actions FSIS

should take to encourage innovative

technologies that could contribute to

overall efforts to improve food safety.

The upcoming July 28 conference is

intended to be a follow-up to the 1995

conference. FSIS continues to believe

that the development and proper use of

technology can contribute significantly

to ensuring the safety of the food

supply, and the Agency will continue to

foster such development and use. The

upcoming conference will explore

current food technology and should

stimulate the development of beneficial

innovations to ensure food safety,

particularly with regard to the reduction

of pathogens.

Since the 1995 conference, many meat

and poultry plants have implemented 3

interventions, such as steam

pasteurization and carcass rinses, that

are effective in reducing pathogens on

meat and poultry. New developments

also have been made in irradiation

technology. The conference will provide

an opportunity to disseminate

information that can lead to the timely

introduction of these and other

beneficial emerging technologies into

more establishments.

1998 Conference Agenda

The conference will consist of two

sessions:

Session I: ‘‘Technologies for Reducing

Pathogens’’

This session will cover emerging

technologies for reducing pathogens

throughout the farm-to-table continuum.

FSIS has stressed the importance of a

farm-to-table approach to food safety.

Although FSIS does not have authority

to impose controls at the farm level, it

continues to believe that public

concerns about pathogens and

foodborne illness will stimulate action

at this level to help improve food safety.

In slaughter and processing plants, the

Agency continues to be interested in

advances that will enhance the safety of

meat and poultry products. In addition,

FSIS is working with the Food and Drug

Administration and State and local food

regulatory officials to ensure that food

safety issues are adequately addressed

in transport, retail, storage, and food

service settings. The Agency remains

firmly committed to its farm-to-table

strategy.

Session II: ‘‘Technologies for Detecting

Pathogens’’

This session will address both

existing and emerging technologies to

detect pathogens, including those which

are close to practical application within

the farm-to-table continuum.

At each session, invited speakers from

FSIS, other government agencies,

industry, consumer groups, and

academia will give presentations. In

addition, FSIS is soliciting the

submission of technical papers on

emerging technology and will invite

selected submitters to give 5-minute

presentations summarizing their papers.

If the same subject is covered in more

than one paper, FSIS will have the

authors combine their presentations for

a single 5-minute presentation or select

the author of the first paper submitted

on the subject. FSIS will moderate each

session and will be joined by a panel

consisting of representatives from

government agencies, industry,

academia, and consumer groups. This

panel will have an opportunity to

question the presenters and to discuss

the technology. Each session will

conclude with an open discussion

period to allow participants to briefly

state their views and ask questions.

Speakers or other interested persons

who will require exhibition space or

special equipment to enhance their

presentations should specify their needs

by contacting Ms. Mary Harris at the

address above. This request should be

included with the paper. Based on the

number of requests for space received

by July 8, 1998, FSIS will determine

whether it will be able to make

exhibition space available.

Done in Washington, DC, on June 26, 1998.

Thomas J. Billy,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–17837 Filed 7–6–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 98–034N]

Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and

Inspection Service (FSIS) is making

available for purchase the revised, 1998,

3rd edition of the Microbiology

Laboratory Guidebook.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Richard P. Mageau, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection

Service, Office of Public Health and

Science, Microbiology Division, Room

3714—Franklin Court, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20250–3700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Microbiology Division of the Office of

Public Health and Science, FSIS,

announces the availability for purchase

of the revised, 1998, 3rd edition of the

Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook.

The Guidebook contains current

protocols for analytical tests required by

FSIS in its regulation of meat, poultry

and egg products. Specifically,

microbiological methods are presented

for sample preparation, isolation and

identification of the major food borne

pathogenic microorganisms and their

toxins, meat tissue species

identification, and the detection of

extraneous materials and antimicrobial

residues. Media and reagent

formulations, and Most Probable

Number Tables are contained in an

appendix.

This document may be purchased as

the Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook,

3rd edition, 1998, stock #001–000–

04656–0, at a price of $57.00 Domestic

and $71.25 Foreign from:

Government Printing Office,

Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box

371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250–7954,

(Fax) 202–512–2233.